Students planted 160,000 new trees on Friday 11.05

4000 teachers and students planted almost 160,000 new firs and pines in the state forest on Friday. During the productive forest day, trees were planted on 60 hectares, more than 100 km of forest trails were covered and 2000 litres of soup eaten. Never before have so many school children worked in the state forest at the same time.

According to Marge Rammo, Head of The Nature Management Department of RMK, the goal of the forest planting day is to show how the state forest is tended in Estonia and to offer students do it yourself experiences. “We consider the day successful, the feedback from all counties has been positive,” Marge Rammo said. “The children did better than we expected and worked hard for the result. On behalf of the organisers, I thank all the planters!”

Tallinn schools were represented most among the planters, and the largest number of students came from Tallinn’s Mustamäe Real Gymnasium and the Collegium Educationis Revaliae (Old Town Educational College). Almost 1000 students planted forest in Harju County and more than 500 planters worked in Ida-Viru County.

Students from grades 6–12 planted trees on 46 cutting areas all over Estonia and participated in an educational forest trip. The day ended with the mounting of a joint signboard with the names of all schools that participated in planting the forest. All participants received educational material in a pocket format, containing the 10 commandments of a forest planter and the explanation of the circle of life of forests.

RMK provided all participants with the necessary tools: working gloves, spade and a bucket. 75% of the trees planted were firs and the rest of them pines. According to the Forest renewal guidelines of the state forest, 3500 pine saplings or 2000 fir saplings are planted on one hectare.

2011 has been declared an International Year of Forests by the UN. In order to celebrate that fact, RMK is organising about a hundred cultural and forestry events, with the aim of introducing the process of growing and managing Estonia’s state forest.

RMK is a profit-making state agency established under the Forestry Act, aimed at sustainable and efficient management of the state forest. RMK grows reforestation materials, organises forestry and practical nature protection works, and sells forests and timber. In addition, RMK establishes opportunities for hiking in nature and forest recreation on recreational areas, in Estonia’s five national parks and 40 other protected areas, and shapes awareness of nature. RMK manages 38% of Estonia’s forests.

Photos of the planting day on Friday can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riigimets/sets/72157626535466465/